• National football team may group forwards and goalkeeper together in training
• Rugby training focused on speed, agility and strength; no body contact yet
• Short track skaters to train in smaller groups
• Swimmers must wear mask until they enter water

SINGAPORE — Even though the circuit breaker with containment measures in April and May affected the training of Team Singapore’s athletes, national sports associations (NSAs) are finding ways to work within the latest guidelines for sports to get their athletes back on track.

While some in the fraternity felt that the cancellation of international tournaments due to the Covid-19 pandemic deprived their athletes of a chance to prove themselves, others had concerns that their athletes may lack adequate training during this period.

Last Friday, all sports, physical exercises and activities were allowed to resume, with Singapore entering Phase Two of the circuit breaker exit.

However, under guidelines issued by national sports agency Sport Singapore (SportSG), these activities are subject to several restrictions.

For example, group activities should be limited to no more than five participants, excluding an instructor. A physical distance of 3m must also be maintained for high intensity activities indoors.

Mr Yazeen Buhari, the general secretary of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), referred to the group-of-five rule and said: “It doesn’t make sense for a lot of sports, but that’s the nature of the situation.”

He acknowledged that the guidelines are something that the football team, as well as other sports, will have to deal with given the current climate.

Mr Yazeen was speaking to reporters at an online media briefing last Friday (June 19).

He said that with the present rules, the Singapore football team cannot prepare adequately for World Cup qualifiers and the regional AFF Suzuki Cup, which are scheduled for the later half of the year.

However, he noted that the impact of Covid-19 on training had not just affected Singapore but the national teams of other countries as well.

With several months to go before these tournaments, training could be modified so as not to fall foul of the rules, he added.

For example, goalkeepers may form a group to train on their own or a group of goalkeepers and forwards may train together, chimed in Mr Gerard Christopher, the deputy director of the general secretary’s office in FAS who was also present at the media briefing.

LOST OPPORTUNITY

Mr Douglas Danapal, the head of public relations at the Singapore Rugby Union (SRU), said that with the cancellation of all regional tournaments, including the Asia Rugby Sevens Series, the national rugby team had lost an opportunity to take part in any tournament this year.

“The coach (Mr Simon Mannix) has been working to upskill the players, but now there is no platform for us to show how much we’ve improved,” Mr Danapal said.

To make up for the loss, Mr Danapal said that SRU is planning a one-off test match for the national team in November against regional countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.

In the meantime, SRU has resumed training for its players in small groups of five as of last Saturday.

However, training will be focused on areas such as speed, agility and strength for a start.

Mr Danapal said that this is important as it ensures that the fitness level of players is up to scratch before they can move on to full training, which involves body contact.

In response to queries from TODAY, SportSG said on Monday that it is still too early to assess the full impact of the circuit breaker on national athletes’ training.

However, Team Singapore athletes have actively adapted their training at home to stay ready for competition with the guidance of their coaches and support from the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI), it added.

For example, Mr Kelvin Chua, a trainer from SSI, had worked with the NSAs and athletes to find new ways to maintain their fitness at home, the agency noted.

Other NSAs said that they will modify the way they train.

Ms Alison Chan, the president of the Singapore Ice Skating Association, said that training will have to be adjusted to keep to the distancing requirement of 3m during instances such as race practice or skating drills on ice for short track skaters, or programme practices for figure skaters.

For short track racing, skaters stand together at the start line and may skate close or come into contact as they try to overtake others during the race.

National short track coach Zhao Yanzhi will modify training to ensure adequate distancing, such as reducing the number of skaters during race practice, Ms Chan said.

The Singapore Swimming Association said that it is also taking steps to prioritise the safety of its athletes. This includes ensuring that swimmers have their masks on until they enter the water, and allowing only one swimmer in a pool lane at any one time.